grow, cook, eat, arrange with Sarah Raven & friends

Latest Episodes:

How to craft a colourful, sustainable Christmas - Episode 202 Dec 12, 2024

Show notes

Christmas is one of the most joyous times of the year, and sustainability need not detract from that joy. With a little bit of forethought, we can all enjoy a colourful and creative celebration that respects our planet too.

Sarah is a passionate advocate for sustainability, so in this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ she shares some of the most exciting, naturally sourced and low impact ways to decorate your home, festive table and tree, as well as a fantastic guide to creating your own compostable wreath.

In this episode, discover:

Sustainable ways to create a festive wreath using foraged branches, moss and flowers from the garden
Whether real trees are a benefit to the environment over faux trees
Highlights from the winter garden to create beautiful decorations for the table and tree

Products mentioned:

Rosemary 'Foxtail': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/rosemary-foxtail

Trachelospermum jasminoides:
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/trachelospermum-jasminoides

Clematis & Wisteria:
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/clematis-and-wisteria

Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Bannow Bay':
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/pittosporum-tenuifolium-bannow-bay

Eucalyptus gunnii 'Azura':
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/eucalyptus-gunnii-azura

Helleborus niger:
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-niger

Helleborus x ballardiae 'Maestro':
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/helleborus-x-ballardiae-maestro

Lunaria annua:
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/lunaria-annua

Panicum miliaceum 'Violaceum':
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/panicum-violaceum

Allium hollandicum 'Purple Sensation':
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/allium-hollandicum-purple-sensation

Allium cristophii:
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/allium-cristophii

Allium schubertii:
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/allium-schubertii

Briza maxima:
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/briza-maxima-greater-quaking-grass

Chasmanthium latifolium:
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/chasmanthium-latifolium

Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris:
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hydrangea-petiolaris

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Q&A: How do I make my mark on a new garden? What can I forage for wreath decorations? What’s the difference between part-shade and full sun? How can I start coppicing? Dec 10, 2024

Show notes

Welcome to the December Q&A episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, where Sarah & Josie answer questions sent in by our lovely listeners each month.
In this episode, Josie shares how best to create your dream garden from one that you’ve just moved into, and enlightens us on what constitutes part-shade and full-sun, so that we can plant our flowers where they’re best suited. Sarah also gives us some fantastic wreath decoration ideas which are foraged, therefore more sustainable, and lauds the benefits of coppicing.

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Perfect gift ideas from our Christmas range with Arthur Parkinson - Episode 201 Dec 05, 2024

Show notes

Christmas is only a few short weeks away, and while the garden may be winding down into winter mode, it’s the perfect time to spread joy to green-fingered friends with some well-considered gifts and elegant decorations.
With Arthur joining Sarah this week for an exciting journey through the pages of our latest Christmas catalogue, Sarah explains why she’s more excited by this year’s festive range than ever before.
In this episode, discover:

Irresistible decorations for the tree, with a few specific nature-themed baubles catching Arthur’s eye
Tried and tested favourites that deliver year upon year, like the ever-reliable Solar Allium Stake Lights
An increased focus on sustainability in the range, as well as living gifts like our Thyme & Rosemary in Terracotta Pots and Sarah’s favourite Double Paperwhites in a Leaf Trough

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

This month in your garden: December Dec 01, 2024

Show notes

The garden winds down in December, but there’s still a few small jobs that’ll stand it in good stead for the year to come.
In this monthly episode of ‘grow, cook, eat arrange’, Sarah takes us through which bulbs can be forced now, and an experimental watering technique, while Josie runs down the winter pruning plans and why it’s not too late to plant your tulips.

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Inspiring biodiversity on a grand scale with Dominic Rose - Episode 200 Nov 28, 2024

Show notes

Dominic Rose holds multiple roles; Chair of Sarah Raven, self-appointed ‘amateur gardener’, and leading advocate in bringing biodiversity to the residential gardens and back yards of Britain.
In our 200th episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Dominic unpacks his ambitions for ‘Britain’s Biggest Living Garden’ – a community action project in North London’s Hampstead Garden Suburb – and explains how it might inspire others to support biodiversity in their own gardens at home, including the next generation of aspiring gardeners who’ll tend our green spaces in the future.
In this episode, discover:

The catalyst for creating Britain’s Biggest Living Garden, and the ecologists, authors and volunteers who have guided its mission
How the benefits to biodiversity are already being measured
Dominic’s ambitions to inspire the next generation of gardeners, with biodiversity at the forefront

Britain’s Biggest Living Garden: https://www.britainsbiggestlivinggarden.org/
Wildlife Gardening Forum: https://www.wlgf.org/

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

10 indispensable tools to make gardening a joy with Josie Lewis - Episode 199 Nov 21, 2024

Show notes

Gardening is a diverse pursuit, and there’s no shortage of tools and kit that can help transform horticultural chores into an easier, more pleasurable experience.
In this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, Perch Hill’s Josie Lewis joins Sarah to look back over the gardening year and nominate the top 10 desert island tools that no gardener should live without.
In this episode, discover:

Tools and containers perfect for making light work of planting and sowing
Sarah and Josie’s favourites vases to make floral arrangements easier to put together and more visually appealing
Sarah’s all-time favourite pots and trugs, with designs that have inspired products in our range

Products mentioned:
Zinc Harvesting Trug
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/zinc-harvesting-trug

Niwaki Hori Hori Knife
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/niwaki-hori-hori-knife

Niwaki s-type Hori Hori Knife and Sheath
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/niwaki-stype-hori-hori-knife-and-sheath

Tub Planter
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/tub-planter

Hortiwool Hanging Basket Liner Set
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hortiwool-hanging-basket-liner-set

Hortiwool Garden Pad
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/hortiwool-garden-pad-pouch

Sarah Raven Pruning Snips
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/sarah-raven-pruning-snips

Sarah Raven Poachers Spade
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/poachers-spade

Nero Vase
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/nero-vase

Bumper Bulb Planter
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/bulb-planter

Striped Ceramic Vases
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/striped-ceramic-vases

Terracotta Pots
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/terracotta-pots

Terracotta Scalloped Pots
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/terracotta-scalloped-pots

Rustic Terracotta Pot
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/rustic-terracotta-pot

Aged Terracotta Pots
https://www.sarahraven.com/products/aged-terracotta-pots

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Perfect flowers for a biodiverse buzz in your garden with Arthur Parkinson - Episode 198 Nov 14, 2024

Show notes

Butterflies and bees can only thrive in a garden with a ‘living buffet’ to which they can flock, which is why biodiversity is the hot topic for Sarah and Arthur in this latest episode of grow, cook, eat, arrange.
Reflecting on a year in which pollinators have struggled and needed particular support, they share the best plant varieties for bringing a much-needed buzz into your gardens, and discuss why nighttime pollinators ought not be forgotten.
In this episode, discover:

Sarah & Arthur’s absolute favourite flowers for creating a biodiverse haven
The importance of late-flowering plants, providing pollen at crucial times when late-emerging pollinators may need it most
The often-overlooked night time wildlife that also benefits from biodiverse gardens
Arthur’s newfound tip for keeping slugs away from your greenhouse

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Q&A: Are we too late to plant forced bulbs for Christmas? How can I start bare root planting this Winter? What can I still sow in November? Nov 12, 2024

Show notes

Welcome to the November Q&A episode of ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’, where Sarah & Josie answer questions sent in by our lovely listeners each month.
In this episode, Sarah answers timely questions on forced bulbs and whether it’s too late to plant them now for Christmas, as well as the things you can still sow at this time of year. Meanwhile, Josie gives us a crash course on bare root plants, and what’s currently being planted at Perch Hill, which might inspire your own planting this November.

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

Bringing seasonal delights from farm to plate with Julius Roberts - Episode 197 Nov 07, 2024

Show notes

Please be aware: This episode contains sensitive discussion about animal death and stillbirth, which some may find upsetting.

Seasonality is a powerful quality in any recipe, to which the abundance of delicious culinary ideas in Julius Roberts’ new book ‘The Farm Table’ is perfect testament.
We explore Julius’ journey as a chef, farmer, grower and author on ‘grow, cook, eat, arrange’ this week, in an episode bound to inspire you with a renewed outlook on cooking, and a fresh appreciation for the work that brings a successful plate together.
In this episode, discover:

The most invaluable lessons that Julius learned from his training at the renowned London restaurant, Noble Rot The greatest joys and most challenging emotional struggles of ‘nature first’ farming

How cooking makes us human, and why seasonality should be a central pillar to the food we grow and cook
The very best recipes from ‘The Farm Table’, such as Julius’ fan-favourite Tarragon Roast Chicken and a lamb dish that champions the joy of humble Swiss Chard

Products mentioned:
Swiss Chard 'Lucullus': https://www.sarahraven.com/products/chard-lucullus

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest

This month in your garden: November Nov 01, 2024

Show notes

November signals a real turn in the weather, and this episode of ‘grow, cook, eat arrange’ is a perfect collation of all the jobs you should consider to prepare your garden for the impending season.
Sarah gives a rundown of the tasks at the top of her mind, from sowing pea tips and lovely scented sweet peas, to preparing paperwhite narcissus for planters.
Elsewhere in the garden, Josie nudges us to prepare your soil for winter, and to prune your roses to protect them from the elements in the months to come.

See our events: https://www.sarahraven.com/courses-events

Get in touch: info@sarahraven.com

Shop on the Sarah Raven Website: https://www.sarahraven.com/

Follow Sarah: https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/

Order Sarah’s latest books: https://www.sarahraven.com/gifts/gardening-books?sort=newest